The Measure of a Ranger
by Onhiro
Summary: Ranger Scout is an Obsidian Ranked adventurer who is conducting his daily patrol through the woods when he hears a sudden furor from the old Elven Fortress that he knew had been taken over by goblins. Knowing that little good can come from goblins making such a hubbub in the middle of the day, he decides to investigate, leading to one of the toughest fights of his life...
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Okay, so, yeah. When I was adding the additional stuff for the version of this to go on Archive of Our Own (now posted, and complete with the explicit sex scene that is not found in this version) I discovered that this one definitely could use quite a bit of editing. So, even if you've read the first one that I posted, this one is well expanded and has a non-explicit version of what happened after the group returned to town. I hope you all enjoy this improved chapter! Please read, enjoy, and review!**

 **KEEP ON READING!**

THE MEASURE OF A RANGER

The day seemed like any other. The forest was still, save for the goings on of the animals that lived within it, and the breeze gently rustled the green crowns of the trees, bringing further cool relief that the shade provided from the warm, summer's day. Then a bird sang out a warning, its call carrying on the wind, and there came a short silence as movement broke the peace. A stocky young man was moving amongst the grand trunks of the old trees, garbed in the clothes of war and heavily armed with pick and long knife at his hips, a recurved warbow held in his left hand. His head was bare, the hooded cloth coif of his gambeson resting against his sturdy pack that had a kettle helmet strapped to it. He moved with an ease that spoke of familiarity with the woods, and no arrow was nocked to the bowstring, and the short pause ended, the birds singing once again, a doe and her fawn cautiously regarding the man for a moment before returning to their grazing. He posed no threat to them this day. Then, there was a slight disturbance on the wind, and silence fell again, this time deep and fearful rather than cautious as it had been for him. The young man paused in his stride as he tucked brown hair behind a slightly pointed ear that hinted at distant elven ancestry, his longbow coming up minutely as his head cocked to the side with a slight frown. Something was…

There! There it was again, off to his southeast, a clamoring brought on the gentle breeze that continued to rustle through the thick foliage. His frown deepened as he worried his lip with his teeth. That was in the direction of the ancient elf fortress, the one that had recently been occupied by goblins. If the goblins were in an uproar…

His feet were already carrying him in the direction of the fortress, even as concern gnawed at him. He was a member of the Adventuring Guild, it was his duty to at least investigate, even if the goblins presented more of a threat than he could handle…the tag at his neck showed him to be an Obsidian level Ranger, more at comfort alone in the forest than in any crowded city or town. Perhaps this bond with nature was due to what little Elven blood he could claim, perhaps it was born from some prejudices his physical appearance had brought…most people associated his slightly below average height and ears with Rhea ancestry rather than Elven, and had treated him accordingly, at best preferring to greet him with some suspicion rather than anything else. Easier, then, to stay in the forests, living off the land away from the cities and towns, occasionally taking up guild quests that suited his talents. Nothing flashy, just good, steady work. Hells, he actually made decent money as a guide for other adventurers, getting them through the wilderness to whatever ruins or caves that they were trying to get to, which was why he was known as the Ranger Scout. Safer than actually going on said adventure, unless it was direly necessary.

Dire necessity certainly explained why he was still moving at a good clip through the woods towards the fortress, the sounds on the wind growing louder, more pronounced. If it was Goblin Slayer, he probably didn't have to worry…that clamor would just be the goblins getting massacred. But his gut said that this wasn't the case…the cries and shouts in that foul tongue didn't sound frightened or angry, but viciously gleeful. Some poor damn party of under-leveled adventurers thought to play the heroes and went wandering in to an area that they weren't prepared for. He knew better! Fear of the goblin nest had goaded him to give the place a large berth during the day and to stay _well_ away from it during the night, in spite rumor that even he had heard, as isolated as he was, a rumor that the goblins had taken girls from the nearby village. He certainly wasn't strong enough to go in solo in the best of circumstances. So why the hell was he doing so now?!

Ignoring the question, he pressed onwards. _If there were men, then I'm too late,_ he grimly told himself as the fortress drew into sight. _But if there are women in the party, I just might…_ he stopped at the edge of the woods, sharp eyes scanning over the fortress, looking for…

There. One goblin, looking irate, stepping out into the sunlight. Hopefully the rest were still inside, distracted by their prey. He stepped behind a tree, unstrapping the kettle helmet from the back of his pack before pulling his coif on and strapping the broad brimmed helmet onto his head. The rest of his movements were economic, quick, well-practiced. His armor was padded jack, and though it was cloth, he knew from experience that it could stop even a heavy arrow, and while less effective against blunt blows, hopefully it would get him through. Leather greaves and bracers reinforced by metal protected his extremities. The pack, he'd leave here, only taking his three healing potions and two antidotes along with him. His buckler was strapped to his left forearm, and he made sure the war pick and the stout long knife were securely fastened at his hips and that the quiver hanging off his belt behind the war pick on his right hip had its protective cover off, the twenty arrows held within easily accessible.

He was as ready as he could be. Taking a deep, steadying breath, he drew one of his arrows and nocked it. _Right, no theatrics, just get in, see if people need rescuing, get them out if they do, and lure the gobbos into_ your _territory!_ Smoothly, he stepped back around the tree, simultaneously drawing back on the bowstring as he brought the bow up, breath coming in deeply. _There_. A half exhale, and a slight thrum as he relaxed the fingers on his right hand, sending the arrow on its way. Before it had even landed, he was running hard, slinging his bow over his shoulder to free up his hands for the climb, already seeing the route he was going to take up the ancient roots that made up the walls. It would be a hard climb, but he knew enough about goblins to know that you didn't want them to be above you.

He glanced up as the goblin sentry leapt to its feet, but before it could turn around or even so much as utter a sound, the arrow caught it in its chest, punching through its body to sink into the wood behind it. The goblin's body paused for a heartbeat before it succumbed to gravity, collapsing silently before sliding down the sloped wall, passing him with a smear of bright red blood as he clambered his way up. His breath was coming in spurts as he reached the more level area that the goblin had been occupying, but he paused only long enough to retrieve the bloodied arrow and nock it to his bow that he shrugged off his shoulder before he cautiously made his way forward so that he could take stock of the hellish revelry below.

What he saw turned his stomach. It was like an amphitheater from the underworld, shadowed doorways and dark nooks looking down on the goblins and their prey, the uncertainty hiding within them making it less sure and more dangerous, but _fuck, it looked like there were four women in there, and they were still alive!_ He licked dry lips, heart pounding heavily in his chest as he gauged critical threats. The two in the middle were still being undressed in preparation for the rape, their struggles weak and sluggish. The one to the upper left was screaming and sobbing as the goblins piled wood around the stake she was tied to, while to the right, what looked like a Rhea woman was tied to another stake, nude and snarling threats and obscenities at goblins that were just now forming a queue, the lead one with bow in hand. _Right, ranged weapon, that group first._

The range was closer than he expected…honestly, these were just about the best conditions he could hope for…he might actually stand a chance to pull this off. The goblins obviously weren't expecting any other adventurers…as a whole, adventurers were usually too arrogant to split up their forces when raiding a goblin nest. So, close range, goblins not prepared for a counterattack…as perfect as he could hope for. There was a small clamor as the goblins forced the woman about to be raped to look up at the Rhea woman, their hands fisted cruelly in her hair as they wrenched her head back, and she tried, oh she tried so hard to break free, but her muscular form was too firmly held by the jeering crowd, and she began to cry out, begging them to just kill her and let the others go as the goblin with the bow set an arrow to the string. The Ranger Scout knew that he had run out of time to plan, that it was time to act.

Later, he would emphasize to young, fresh-faced and bright-eyed new adventurers that it wasn't his bravery or his stealth or anything of the like that carried the day. It was practice, economy of movement honed through hours, days, weeks, whole _months_ spent training with his bow that allowed him to shoot as quickly and accurately as he did that battle. Though he was scared such that his heart galloped in his chest, he was able to put it out of mind, his mouth a grim line as he brought the bow up smoothly and calmly as though he were on the range with no danger to him or lives depending on his shots. The moment he knew the arrow would fly true, he released, bringing his bow back as his right hand casually reached back, grabbing another arrow and nocking it before the goblins could fully comprehend just why their kin with the bow had dropped dead, its own arrow flying wide of its intended target, the Rhea woman who was now gaping up at him, shock clear as day on her face as he pushed forward with his left arm and drew back with his right, the bow creaking slightly and his muscles straining at the weight of it before releasing the strung with another thrum, this arrow catching a goblin who had been standing next to the one with the bow in the mouth as it glared up at him, screaming something in its wretched language, but its screams were stopped forever as the chiseled tip of the bodkin arrow split its tongue and pierced its spine.

Everything seemed to speed up, blurring in his mind as chaos and panic broke out down below. He only had eighteen arrows left with a great deal many more goblins than that down there, and he knew that he had a matter of minutes before he would be overwhelmed if he didn't break their spirit, a hard task for any one man. But, he wasn't alone. His next arrow sank into the wood pillar that the Rhea was tied to, just narrowly missing her left arm…but severing the ropes that held her arms and torso secure. "Hurry!" he bellowed as he loosed an arrow at a goblin that was running towards her, crude axe raised in attack, the arrow slaying it, its body collapsing and sliding to a stop at the base of the pillar. Luckily, she needed no further encouragement.

As he loosed his next three arrows into the confused pandemonium below (kill, miss, wound, and only thirteen arrows left!) she wrenched her arm free, tearing the arrow free from the post before savagely sawing away at the ropes that still held her captive. The ropes fell away, and she dropped to the ground, taking only a moment to catch her balance. The moment she found her feet, she dashed forward under the cover of his arrows (only nine left, and just one kill and one wounded goblin to show for it!) and snatched up the bow the first goblin had dropped, only just barely managing to draw and release an arrow into the chest of another goblin charging her. She narrowly spun out of the way of the falling body, the sharp movement catching his eye, and despite it all, he paused, mouth suddenly running dry at the sight of her as she drew another arrow, sending it at another goblin with her teeth bared in a wordless snarl. Her nude form was bathed in the light of the torches, orange and red light caressing her body like a lover as she slew a third goblin, her hair catching the light, crowning her with fire, giving her the air of a vengeful goddess amongst mere mortals, and he stared, transfixed, mouth hanging open, eyes unable to look away from her ferocity.

It was the stirring in his loins that broke him out of his stupor, and he shook himself as shame welled up, hot and thick as he sighted and loosed another arrow. _Fighting for her life mere feet away from bloodthirsty goblins, and here I am in relative safety, mooning at her!_ It didn't matter that the sight of her, naked and fighting with such determined ferocity was the most stunningly erotic and beautiful thing he had seen in his young life, he had a job to do. _If we live, I can fawn over her all I want, should she permit it…now is not the time!_ he scolded himself as he sent an arrow towards a goblin approaching the other tied up person, torch in hand. It was a quick shot, and he missed, the arrow skittering across the floor by the goblin's feet, and it jumped before dropping the torch and running for the door…joined by most of its comrades, their cries panicked as they routed, clearing the chamber of their wretched presence.

He knew it would only be a momentary relief. Goblins were cowards, true, and while the number of casualties they had sustained in the short time that they had was enough to convince those down there to run, he and the ladies only had a very brief amount of time before the vermin regrouped, and despite the successes of his unexpected assault, he knew that they would have no chance against the entire nest. He quickly swung his bow over his shoulder and ran down the stairs into the chamber, already fishing the health potions out of his pouch. "We've not much time!" he cried as he jumped the last few feet onto the chamber floor. "Here, for your two friends here," he said as he handed the two potions he held to the Rhea woman. "Quickly, quickly!"

She nodded, grabbing them and scurrying over to one of the women on the floor as he made his way to the one tied to the other pole, an elf, by the looks of her. As he made his way over to her, his boots slipping and sliding on the bloody and offal covered floor, he noted that there were several goblin bodies not slain by arrow around the one woman the goblins had forced to look at the Rhea woman, and he took a moment to glance back at her, appraising her for wounds as she cradled the head of the other woman in her lap, helping the Rhea administer a potion, but it looked like the red blood covering her hands was that of the goblins, not hers. _When did_ that _happen?_ he asked himself, confused for a moment before the realization struck him. She must have killed the goblins immediately around her with her bare hands when the chaos had broken then he had reached the elf woman and his mind was filled with more pressing matters, his gut wrenching as he noticed the signs of her being the goblins' plaything before being tied to the stake. Had the Rhea woman, too? Thrusting the thought of the two of them being raped from his mind, he drew his knife and made quick work of the ropes binding her, and he caught her falling body as she cried out. "What happened?" he asked as he set her down, barely paying attention to her sigh of relief as he grabbed her hand and pulling her towards the others, relieved that she showed no hesitation in following him.

"Tried to rescue the kidnapped women, it was a trap. They were already dead, and as we tried to run, our leader was struck in the head by a thrown stone," she said as she gestured to the woman with the light brown hair who was just now drinking a health potion.

He cursed viciously at that. "Does no one bloody well wear fucking helmets?" he snarled at the room at large, but none of the women answered him, too busy desperately collecting what pieces of their equipment were in the room with them. Nocking another arrow, he resolved to have that discussion with them if they made it out of here alive. As if on cue…his ear twitched as the sound of a _lot_ of running feet echoed up into the chamber from the largest, yawning doorway. "Shit! Gather up what weapons you can, we go up and out the way I came. It's daytime, we'll have the advantage out there!"

Almost before he had finished speaking, the first group of goblins spewed forth from the doorway like maggots from a putrid wound, and he drew and released the arrow, killing one of the lead goblins, but the loss of their comrade did little to slow the rest of them down. But now he was joined by the four women, and though they were barely clad in their clothes and armor, they fought with a stunning ferocity, especially the woman who had killed the goblins with her bare hands. She was the fiercest amongst them, her sword that she had recovered very quickly becoming red with the blood of her prey, and it was her ruthless, merciless attacks that severed limbs, opened up abdomens to spill steaming guts, that sent hot blood arcing through the air that won the brutal encounter. The handful of goblins still remaining screeched in panic as the ran back down that main gate, and they took advantage of the brief reprieve to the fullest, the women gathering what remained of their gear as they made sure their clothes and armor were donned as properly as possible, given the rents and tears in the fabric, all while he desperately ran about, gathering what arrows he could, ever cognizant of the growing clamor echoing through not only the main doorway, but also through the nooks and crannies. Scarcely a minute after the survivors of the first group of goblin reinforcements had fled, a flurry of movement in the main doorway caught his attention, and he loosed an arrow into the shadowed depths, snarls of rage answering his shot. They were out of time.

"They're going to make their way around us, surround us, and butcher us! We need to run!" he cried as he fired another arrow blindly into the darkness of the doorway, not knowing and not caring if it hit anything. All it had to do was make the goblins hesitate as they ran towards the steps leading up to sunlight, to freedom, to _life_. "I'll pull the rearguard!"

They were all of them clambering up the steps then, and when the next gang of goblins, more numerous this time, came pouring out, it was not just his bow, but also the bow of the Rhea woman and the leader of their group that sang out. But it wasn't quite enough, as these goblins wore armor, and moved with more coordination. Their time was up, they _had_ to get out.

He caught the flash of movement from the corner of his eye, looked up to see some goblins climbing up the shadowed roots on the far side of the chamber, including one who raised a sling, whirling it above his head before releasing the missile, and before he could react, it fell amongst them, striking him in the side, and he felt more than heard the muffled pop in his ribs as the stone clattered to the stairs at his feet. His armor must have helped lessen the damage, but he still went down, his breaths suddenly coming in weak, painful gasps, and he was distantly aware of the triumphant cries of what seemed like hundreds of goblins as the wretched little beasts came surging up the stairs after them.

But just before the one closest to him could reach out with its filth caked claws to snag his leg, a rock the size of his fist caught it in the face, and it tumbled down the stairs, howling in pain as the other goblins jeered and snarled, either leaping over it or getting caught in its flopping limbs. The moment of relief that that bought them had hands reaching under his armpits, heaving him to his feet, and he looked up to see the Rhea and Elf woman straining against his weight, faces set in determination, blood flowing from a long scratch on the Elf's arm, and he wondered dizzily through the pain how she had received it just before another arrow sunk buzzing into the wall next to them, vibrating slightly. They had to move! Grunting with the effort of it, he got his feet underneath him again, ducking as another slung rock crashed against the wall by his head. The goblins were making their way up the stairs again, and he quickly passed his longbow off to the Elf. "I hope you can use that!" he croaked weakly, already turning to face the goblins coming up the stairs at them without waiting for an answer, but given the sensation of arrows being drawn from his quiver and the renewed shouts of dismay amongst the slinger and archer goblins, he guessed she could.

Then the goblins reached him, and the next moments were wholly occupied by the melee that was punctuated by sharp stabs of pain from his side, and he thanked the gods that the goblins could only come at him from a narrow front…he could take them in groups of one and two, even despite being a much better archer than frontline fighter. A particularly ugly goblin screeched in triumph as its wickedly curved scimitar caught him in the shoulder, but its joy turned to dismay as the blade did little more than cut through the first four layers of the armor, only bruising the skin beneath. He rewarded the goblin for its lucky strike by braining it with the hammer poll of his war pick, blood leaking from its eyes and ears as it collapsed, and he reversed the pick and buried its spike into the temple of the goblin that had been next to the one he had brained. The goblin behind the two had a spear, and it jabbed forward with it, catching him in the stomach with it, but again his armor held, the little cur not possessing the strength to get through his armor.

He raised his pick, ready to brain this one, too, when a slung stone caught him in the helmet, and he stumbled, falling into the wall, but the stone did little more than stun him momentarily. But that momentary lapse in defense was enough for the spear goblin to strike again, a line of fire erupting along his bicep as the goblin drove the spearhead through the gap of the cuff of his armor's sleeve. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he silenced the goblin's cries of victory forever by stabbing it deeply in the neck. The goblin fell back, sprattling and choking on its blood, and that just barely bought him enough of a reprieve to get to his feet again and replace his weapons to their places at his hip as he took up the goblin's spear and used the weapon's longer reach to great effect, keeping the rest of the goblins now literally frothing at the mouths and howling for their blood at bay as they made the landing.

"Run, I'll delay them until you start to slide down, then I'll be right behind you!" he cried, and the four of them did so without comment, the Elf only pausing long enough to snatch what few arrows remained in his quiver. He paid that only cursory attention as he jabbed at the goblins below with the spear. He did not intend for his words about being right behind them to become false! He had no desire whatsoever to valiantly sacrifice himself here, and so the moment that the last of the women had disappeared from view, he roared defiantly as he came in low with the spear, breaking the guard of the goblin closest to him, catching it in the stomach, and he heaved with all his might, lifting it into the air, suspended writhing and wriggling on the spear, and with one final bellowing roar, he heaved the spear and goblin onto its fellows, knocking the goblins closest to him to their feet, and as they fell back down the stairs, he was running, stones and arrows flitting about him as he jumped and slid down after them. Seeing that they were all more or less unharmed (besides the wound to the Elf's arm, the human warrior had a bruise to her cheekbone he didn't remember seeing before), he urged them forward. "We need to get to town!" Their faces grim, they all nodded, and began to run, stopping only long enough for him to get his pack, the enraged howls of the goblins goading them onwards…

xxxXXXxxx

As luck would have it, their flight was entirely anticlimactic and would have been entirely unsuited for a story the likes of which adventurers like to be in. The goblins pursued them, yes, but not in great force. Goblins were no geniuses, but they weren't fools, either. The day belonged to the adventurer, and a goblin foolish enough to try to fight adventurers when the sun was high in the sky often ended up very dead, even when those adventurers were wounded, exhausted, and bearing damaged equipment. This case was no different. After all, the group had two Rangers amongst them, and the forest _belonged_ to the Ranger. Of the goblins who had chased after their stolen quarry, the fastest ones never came back, and the Ranger Scout would later be absolutely unashamed to admit that most of them were killed by the Rhea woman…his wounds were more serious than he had first thought. Of their pursuers, the slower goblins amongst them were only lucky in that they hadn't managed to keep up with the fleeing adventurers and were therefore denied the chance to die. No doubt grumbling and miserable, the goblins returned to their nest and stewed and plotted on how to prevent such a thing from happening again, as this was the nature of the goblin. There would be more guards at all entrances, more cunning traps. They would capture more women, breed more goblins, become strong again. And so it was that the nest was overjoyed when a sentry spotted a human girl casually strolling through the forest next to the fortress. Sure, there was one armored human with her, but they should be able to deal with one human, yes?

Unfortunately for the nest, the Goblin Slayer was a good deal more… _imaginative_ than they were.

Of course, the village that had been the victim of the goblin raids had no way of knowing the exact details. All its people knew was that three days after the Steel party and Obsidian ranger came stumbling out of the forest wounded and exhausted with clothes and armor rent by goblins weapons and hands, a great plume of black, angry smoke was seen rising into the sky from the direction of the old fortress. There were tears of relief and cries of fierce joy. The village's stolen daughters were avenged! They would suffer no more! The adventurers who had tried and failed to save the kidnapped women silently watched the spontaneous festivities from the lodge they had been granted to recover in, their feelings mixed. On the one hand, they were grateful to still be alive. On the other…

The Ranger Scout stood at the edge of the porch of the building they were staying in, staring up at the distant tower of smoke, and sighed heavily. "Three days," he said, looking back at the four women still in the main hall of the house. "You wouldn't have made it that long."

The Noble Knight frowned, the bruise from her cheekbone still present and now spread across her upper cheek and around her eye as a very impressive black eye, one she had insisted that hadn't been enough to waste a healing miracle on, not when said miracles could be used on what villagers were in need as a method of payment for their lodging and for the clean, fresh clothes they now wore. "So you've said many times before. There's no need to rub it in, especially since you're an Obsidian rank!" she sniffed haughtily. "There is much to be said about having grave both in victory and defeat."

"This isn't about grace!" he snapped back before limping through the double doors and over to the table where their gear (most of it his) lay, ribs flaring in pain with each step before he picked up his helmet, brandishing it at the noblewoman. "This is about surviving out there! This would have saved you from that stone, possibly even prevented any of that from happening!"

She glanced away, cheeks growing splotchy with anger and shame. "Adventurers show their faces, it's how we get recognition…everyone knows that!"

He scoffed. "Horseshit! You can get recognition with a surcoat. Can't make your face known if you're _dead_." He tossed the helmet back on the table with a metallic clatter. "But, hey, do what you want. Just don't ever forget how close you all were to dying." He pointed at the Elf Wizard, who flinched at the gesture. "She was going to be burned alive, while _she_ was going to be used for target practice with her own bow," he snapped as he pointed at the Rhea Ranger. "The two of you could expect to be raped until you died. But no, no need to wear decent armor!" He sighed, anger suddenly spent, leaving him feeling empty, tired. "You know what? No. I'm done. I'll be in my room. You were planning on heading out tomorrow morning, and I wish you _Steel Ranks_ the best. Hopefully your hubris won't get you killed."

With that parting shot, he gathered up his gear and made his way up the stairs to the sleeping quarters, clutching his side as he did so. The healing the Human Nun had given him had helped, but only by healing the break…the bruise was still present and deep. He had declined further offers for healing…better for the pain to serve as a reminder as to how lucky he had been. If even one thing had gone slightly less well, they would have all died…as it was, it had gone off as well as it could have. With that grim thought, he entered the room assigned to him and shut the door behind him, dropping the gear on the floor at the foot of the bed before flopping onto the mattress.

 _I'm too young for this_ , he thought to himself as he carefully rolled onto his back. _Only eighteen and already facing serious life-or-death fights…that's not the type of Ranger I want to be!_ But still…remembering the look of pure gratitude that the Rhea Ranger had given him when they had finally stumbled into town three days ago, he knew that despite his complaining, he'd do it all over again. It was with this thought that he drifted into a light slumber…

…only to be woken up by someone knocking on his door. He blinked, disoriented. What hour was it? He glanced out the window to find the sky had grown significantly darker, suggesting that it was now dusk, and he rubbed his face wearily before he steeled himself and swung his legs over the side of the bed, sitting up with another flare of pain at his side. "Come in," he called out with a yawn, and the door quietly opened, revealing the Rhea Ranger, now dressed in a nightgown that she had gotten from the village market. He froze at the sight of her, eyes appreciatively roaming her body before his common sense caught up, and he looked away, cheeks dusted with a blush. He watched from the corner of his eye as she glanced down the hall before slipping into his room, closing the door behind her, further confusing him. Why did she come into his room in her nightclothes? She stood there for a moment, fidgeting with her gown, face downcast, and against his better judgment he took the moment to more thoroughly appraise her.

An athletic build, tanned and muscular, but that was par the course for adventurers. True to her race, her form was otherwise slight and stood slightly more than one head shorter than his own five foot six, and she wore no shoes on her feet. Her blonde hair was cut short, and had good body to it, now that she had had the chance to wash away the horror of the goblin nest several times. Her face was open and her eyes kind, and he had the feeling that she most often bore a smile, though now she only looked slightly nervous and sad. "So…" he started off slowly, unsure how else to start. "What can I help you with?"

Her hands fluttered in front of her before returning to the nightgown, and he was oddly reminded of a wounded bird by the gesture. "I just…wanted to talk."

Guided by what little he remembered of social niceties, he nodded, gesturing to the sole chair in the room. "Please, by all means, though I can't help but wonder why you don't talk with your companions over a near stranger like me."

She bit her lip, and walked over to the chair, climbing into it and folding her legs beneath her. She sat like that for a moment, gaze fixed resolutely on the floor, and he shifted himself so that his back rested against the headboard, content to wait. If she was the one who wanted to talk, he'd let her start when she was comfortable.

"It wasn't her fault!" she suddenly blurted, looking up at him with tears brimming in her eyes, the sight unexpectedly wrenching at his heart. "What happened in the fortress, it wasn't our leader's fault, like you said!" Then her gaze dropped away again, voice suddenly more tremulous and far quieter. "…it was _my_ fault." She took in a deep breath, her hands fisting in her nightgown. " _I_ was the one who picked up the corpse, releasing the trap that woke up all the goblins. If it hadn't been for _me_ , then we would have been able to slip out, unnoticed! It's just…there were so many traps, and I was so _tired_ when we got to her body…" A single, broken sob tore itself out of her throat as she brought her knees up, clutching them desperately to her chest. "…I almost got us all killed!"

Now he was panicking. _Oh, Gods, she's crying! What do I do?!_ He hesitated, torn with indecision for a moment, but as the next sob tore through her, he distantly recalled his mother comforting him when he was naught but a small boy. Seizing onto that memory, he got up and strode over to her, kneeling on the floor beside the chair and rubbing a comforting hand up and down her back. _Am I doing this right? Does she think I'm being a bother? Another reason why I stay in the wilderness, I never know how to act in situations like this!_ But she evidently accepted his comfort, because before he knew it, she was latched on to his shirt as sobs tore through her. As she continued to cry, he thought more carefully on her words. _No wonder she didn't want to talk to her friends about this, she feels like she's the one that almost got them all killed!_ The thought of her blaming herself bothered him more than he expected, and he framed his thoughts very carefully before speaking.

"Hey, hey, it's not your fault," he murmured soothingly as she continued to cry, and he drew her into a closer embrace, feeling stiff and uncomfortable, only relaxing as she burrowed deeper into his arms. "You were just focused on helping the captured women, right? And you all made it, so you can just learn from this for future quests, yeah?" He frowned. "Your leader refusing to wear a helmet is willful negligence, an active decision to not wear the best armor for the situation, but your actions were based on empathy. You shouldn't blame yourself for that!" He paused, and gave a small, amused huff. "In fact, I find that empathy rather admirable."

She stilled against him, sniffling as her tears subsided. "…you do?" she asked, voice still quavering from her tears.

"Why wouldn't I? In fact, your lack in armor notwithstanding, I'm actually fairly impressed with your party as a whole. There's not many steel ranked adventurers who would have bothered with a quest involving goblins." Again, he frowned. "In fact, you are a lot more admirable than me. I did nothing at all to help the women who had been captured, despite knowing about them. What does that say about me?" She shifted against him, and he looked down to see her smiling up at him through tear-streaked cheeks.

"But you rescued us, though…"

He gave a slight grin in return. "Yes, and I'm rather glad that I did." It was at that point that his body reminded him that he was holding an attractive young woman only clad in night clothes, and he cleared his throat as a blush dusted his cheeks as he pulled back slightly, shifting slightly to the side and hoping that she hadn't noticed the, ah, _evidence_ of his attraction that was surely noticeable if she so much as looked down at his lap. "So, um, yeah, you were going to be headed out in the morning?"

She nodded, glancing at his face with confusion and curiosity (and was that a hint of longing in her eyes?) as she sat back in the chair. Had she enjoyed being held by him? No, better not to think about that. The memory of her warmth against him was already going to haunt his dreams enough as it was. Plus, why would a girl pretty as her want to be closer to a plain and average guy like him? "Yes, we'll be returning to the guild. We've most of our money stored there so we can refit and rearm." She shot him an amused, coy glance. "Including a full-faced helm for our Knight and better armor for the other two. We all agreed on it. She may be proud, but she isn't stupid…she knows how close we came." Then she hesitated, a slight blush warming her cheeks, and she hugged her knees to her chest again, and he very pointedly ignored the flash of pale thighs she presented him. "Listen…won't you come with us? You were a real good fighter back there, and we do owe you our lives. You'd definitely be a good asset to the party!"

He blinked, thrown off by the offer. He had had similar requests in the past, but usually from Porcelain ranks after he had guided them to their destinations. As for those higher ranking than him…he knew of his reputation, that some felt him a coward for not dungeon delving and ruin raiding like a normal adventurer. So to have a full party of steels make the offer…

"Oh, uh, wow! I wasn't expecting that, especially after the chewing out I gave your leader," he said with an embarrassed laugh as he scratched the back of his head, previous awkwardness coming back full force. "But I'm afraid I have to decline. I generally work solo, and I guess I'm kinda like the Goblin Slayer, only maybe not so murderously obsessed with my goal. I do a job that not many other adventurers would take because it doesn't pay much in money or glory."

"Oh," she replied, voice soft, and her face fell, suddenly making him realize that he might have said the wrong thing. Was she actually sad that he had said no? Before he could really think about what that might mean, she looked up again, desperation clear in her face. "Then at least come back to town with us! Our wizard pointed out that you can probably be promoted to Steel for what you did! You can come with us and then go see if you can get to our rank!"

 _She really wants me to come with them._ The thought threw him off, and, unsure of what else to do, he turned to self-deprecating humor. "Oh, but surely you don't want a plain man like me cramping your style."

Her mouth opened to retort, an indignant frown on her face, but then she froze, blush coming in heavier this time as she looked away, hands fidgeting on her knees. "You wouldn't be cramping our style," she murmured with a soft voice.

 _Uhhhh_ …he thought, flabbergasted. How to react to _that_ one?! Maybe with another jest? He grinned teasingly, and made sure that his tone was obviously joking. "Well, if I won't be cramping your style, then do I have to worry about the four of you fighting over all of this?" he asked as he gestured to his body and then went into an over-exaggerated flex. To his relief, she snorted with laughter, some of the weird atmosphere broken by her mirth.

"Hardly," she replied, eyes sparkling with amusement. "Our nun has taken a vow of chastity, I've never seen the wizard show or speak of any interest of the like towards _anyone_ , and our esteemed knight already has a husband, a man she is lucky enough to definitely be in love with." Then her good humor melted away like snow in the height of summer. "No, I'm the only one who doesn't have anyone, and no wonder…" she trailed off, a sad look in her eyes. "No one ever seems interested."

"What? Why?! But you're so pretty!" he blurted, and they both froze, faces turning steadily redder as they fully processed what he had said.

But then she scoffed, and looked away, a scowl on her face as her blush turned to anger. "Thank you for the compliment, but no need for exaggeration. Not many people want a Rhea, and who can blame them, when you compare _this_ ," she said with a jerky gesture at her body, "with people like the farm girl, the guild girl, that wizard who works with the spearman, heck, even the wizard and knight on my own team! I'm downright boyish when compared to them!" She sneered, lost in bitter memories as she continued. "That, or you get the creeps who want you because you look like a little girl!"

He shook his head, impulsively deciding to go with truth. "It wasn't an exaggeration, miss, and I assure you, though you bear the short stature of your people, I do not see a boyish figure or a little girl. You are definitely a _woman_." Eyes wide with shock and hope turned to him, and he forged on, blushing clear to his ears. "And forgive me for saying so, and if you take offense I will remove myself from your presence and never speak to you again, but the most beautiful and arousing thing I have ever seen was you, back in that fortress, naked as the day you were born, slaying goblins with your bow. Not your knight, nor your nun or wizard, but _you_ , fighting with all the ferocity of a tiger." He paused, grimaced. "And I apologize for being so forw-"

An impact and suddenly his back was flat on the floor, with her lying on top of him, her mouth pressed desperately to his. _Well, that progressed a lot quicker than I expected!_ Then her tongue brushed against his lips, and all thoughts fled his mind as he opened up for her, his arms coming around to hold her tightly to him as she deepened the kiss.

What followed was a night of lovemaking, both of their first times had with one another. Their inexperience led to some missteps, particularly when they discovered precisely _why_ it was that Rhea women did not often find lovers outside of their race, but they guided each other with open, tender through the tears and discomfort and awkwardness so common of the loss of virginity, and the night found them lying on the bed, breathing slowly returning to normal, sweat slickened skin cooling in the night air.

There was a moment of silence as they recovered, and then the bed shifted as the Rhea Ranger got up. Concern flared through Scout, and he forced his eyes to crack open to see her standing by the side of the bed, facing away from him. Had he said or done something wrong during their coupling?! "Please stay," he said…no, he _begged_ , for the first time in his adult life really _needing_ someone to stay with him and not leave him alone, and she turned around, eyes wide with shock.

"Do you want me to?"

"Yes. _Always_. Please, don't go."

She smiled at him in that way that cut him down to his very core, and he felt tears gather in his eyes. "Okay," she whispered. "I will." Then she moved briskly to the end of the bed. "Just have to get cleaned up, first." She gathered up her night gown and quickly wiped away the residue of their lovemaking from her thighs and entrance, and then crawled into bed, tenderly cleaning him, as well. He feebly protested that, insisting that he could do it, but she silenced him with another soft smile as she assured him that she wanted to do it. It didn't take her long to finish, and she was soon tossing the nightgown back to the floor before she crawled up his body before curling into his side, hand resting very gently on the bruise that lay of his rib. He hissed slightly at the pressure, but it didn't take long at all to relax, his eyes sliding shut.

But something niggled at him, something important, something he should remember. What was-?

Oh.

He lightly nudged her with his elbow, and a sleepy murmur answered him. "Hey. I changed my mind. I think I'm going to join your party tomorrow."

She went still next to him, tense, taut, like a live wire in a wizard's lab. "Until we get back to town?" she asked, voice small.

He nodded. "Yes." What could have been a sigh of disappointment followed his answer, and he smiled softly. "Until we get back to town…and further beyond, if you'll have me."

A long moment of silence. Finally the answer, delivered in a tentative, hopeful voice. "Yeah?"

"Yeah."

Her hand found his, threading her fingers through his. "I think I'd like that."

He slowly, carefully turned on his side, mindful of his ribs before drawing her slight form against his, hands still joined. "I think I would, too." He pressed a gentle kiss against the crown of her head, pausing only to bask in the fresh scent of her hair. "Goodnight," he murmured, heart full with an emotion startling in its intensity, an emotion too new to put a name to, but one that he knew he wanted to develop and grow with the woman he now held in his arms. It was with that thought that he finally drew into a gentle repose.

xxxXXXxxx

The Noble Knight stared down at the Ranger Scout who stood before her, bowed respectfully at the waist that next morning. He had just begged her in very formal language befitting her status as a noblewoman for the privilege of joining their party, and for a moment she considered refusing him. But then she glanced up at where the Rhea Ranger was talking to the Elf Wizard, the shorter woman unable to keep the brilliant smile from her face, and even if the whole party hadn't heard her last night (heck, even the whole village might have heard her, she was so vocal!), the slightly bowlegged way she walked and the slightly tender wince that took to her face with each step left no doubt as to what the two of them had done last night. She grimaced before she glanced again at her friend's face, her heart warming at the open, happy smile on the Rhea's face, a smile that had once been common for her but that hadn't been seen since they escaped from the nest.

Then she was looking back to him as he kept up what had to be a slightly uncomfortable bow without any fidgeting or complaint, and her eyes roved over his equipment. He had already mended his armor, and the weapons he had showed signs of much use as well as impeccable care. He might have an obsidian tag around his neck, but he had fought well and kept a cool head under stress…and they _did_ owe him their lives. "Fine," she muttered, waving a dismissive hand. "You can join us. There are some rules, though, and I'll go over them with her, too! No having sex while we are out on a mission! I'm also the leader of the party, so you need to follow my orders. And if your relationship endangers the party in any way, you're gone! Am I understood?"

He rose smoothly, his face showing a glimmer of relief before he schooled his features. "Understood," he replied as he bowed again, more deeply this time. "I am in your care, my lady."

She sighed, bracing her hand on her hip. "Yes, you are. Now get ready, we leave soon."

He rose once again before nodding respectfully. Then he made his way to where the other two were chatting, pardoning himself as he interrupted before saying something to his Rhea lover. She paused for a moment before her face lit up like a sunrise ending a long and terrible night, her arms wrapping around him as she drew him into a hug. Then her eyes met the Noble Knights, and they softened as she mouthed a silent ' _thank you_ ', her face radiating pure gratitude.

Well, perhaps having another member of the party wouldn't be too bad, she grudgingly admitted to herself as she continued her own preparations for the road. After all, if it could make her Ranger smile like _that_ , it couldn't be all that bad. She glanced back at the others, the Scout introducing himself to the other three, the Human Monk having joined them, and she couldn't help the soft smile that came unbidden to her face. "Welcome to the family," she whispered before turning back to her pack, suddenly reminded of something her father had told her once, about how the measure of a man was no more apparent than how he reacted under stress. If that were the case, then the measure of a Ranger Scout who had willingly gone into danger to save her and her companions was very high indeed. _The measure of a Ranger_ , she mused to herself. _His actions are worthy of measuring in Steel_!

And so it was that he joined them, and they went on many adventures together, his love for the Rhea Ranger only growing with time, as did his companionship with the rest of the party. But those, of course, are stories for another time!


	2. Author's Note, please read

**AN: For those few of you who have this story on your alerts, I'd definitely like to thank you for your interest! This chapter is more to let you know that I have greatly expanded the story as it was, going from around 3k to 8k words, not only making the fight scene far more interesting, but also going into much greater detail on the activities that the Steel Party and the Ranger Scout do upon getting to the town.**

 **I'd also like to mention that this story can also be found on Archive of Our Own under the same title and penname, only that version has the explicit sex scene that I couldn't post on due to their restrictions. Please feel free to go and check it out!**

 **As always, KEEP ON READING!**


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